Many different types of information are stored as online content on websites. For example, websites may include news, weather, shopping interfaces, message boards, social networking interfaces, any other type of online content or any combination thereof. However, as the volume of online content increases, it becomes increasingly difficult to locate information that is relevant to specific website users. For example, a website may include information targeted at multiple industries, while a specific website user may only be interested in information targeted at one of those industries.
Search engines are one way of locating relevant online content, by allowing the website user to filter online content based on user-defined search terms. To use a search engine, the website user typically enters the search terms in a textbox, and the online content is filtered based on the search terms. If the website user needs to filter online content the same way in the future, the website user typically must reenter the same search terms in the text box.
Many different types of desktop applications also exist. For the purposes of this discussion, a “desktop application” is defined as a software application that resides on a user's portable or non-portable computer system (where the operating system's main screen is often referred to as a “desktop”) and is not merely a web browser. In other words, the desktop application includes functionality that is not directed to general purpose web browsing. A desktop application may be more or less difficult to use, depending, for example, on the number and/or complexity of features of the desktop application. Accordingly, users of desktop applications often seek support on how to use desktop applications. However, support is often not readily accessible, and if support is provided in online content, locating the relevant online content may be difficult. For example, if support is provided on a message board, it may be difficult to locate messages that pertain to the user's specific needs, even when using a traditional search engine.